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“I read some press reports saying that I pleaded guilty to being a Russian spy which of course I did not and of course I am not. I want you to know, first of all, that I love this country!”

Last year, Fishenko, 50, pleaded guilty to sending more than $50 million worth of sensitive hardware to Russia since 2002 through his company Texas-based company Arc Electronics.

Prosecutors said the equipment could be used for radar, detonation systems and missiles, and that Fishenko disguised and mislabeled the items to avoid detection.

The Houston resident, who has dual citizenship in the US and Russia, was one of 11 people busted in 2012 as part of the alleged spy ring.

In his statement, Fishenko painted himself and his family as living the American dream before his arrest.

“I started working at Circuit City, took college classes, and started a family,” he said. “It was thrilling. The immigrant experience! Believe me, your honor, the absolute furthest thing from my mind was being a spy for Russia.”

Fishenko’s attorney Richard Levitt argued for a sentence of 50 months plus community service, saying that his client had suffered enough already.

“He was branded a spy by the press that sought to sensationalize the case. It’s unquestionably a form of punishment,” said Levitt.

Johnson seemed to agree, saying there was “no evidence that he was a spy.”

Still the judge noted, “Whether intentionally or unintentionally, some of these sophisticated electronic components did end up in the Russian military. God knows what kind of impact that will have.”